


In Shining Armor

by jenna_thorn



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-07
Updated: 2014-01-07
Packaged: 2018-01-07 22:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1125008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenna_thorn/pseuds/jenna_thorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pepper rides to the rescue with a black Bentley for a stallion and the Black Widow for her squire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Shining Armor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [celli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/celli/gifts).



> written for Celli, who wanted Pepper and Natasha being awesome, which is easy, because they are.

Agent Blake tapped the nearly empty file in front of him, displaying it like the theatrical prop it was. “It’s not like we can walk in the door.”

Natasha, beside Pepper, said, “As a matter of fact, we can.”

“You wouldn’t put a civilian at risk,” the agent in the corner, the one who hadn’t rated an introduction, said.

Pepper paused, then tilted her head to the side, never breaking eye contact with Blake. “I’m going to sit here for a moment and let you figure out what you just said.”

Natasha shifted, minutely, in her chair as Blake frowned. She didn’t smile, but Pepper did. 

\--::--

Pepper entered the facility with Natasha at her side. “Thank you for taking the time to see me.”

“Oh, oh really, it’s our honor, I just, this is a surprise, that’s all, sudden, you know.” Robertson glanced at the security camera in the corner and gestured to a conference room with an expensive table and cheap chairs. Of the four people in the room, one was the original engineer, who’d alternated patent with bankruptcy filings until Robertson had dropped in his lap. Marks sat still, but whether his silence was wary, resentful, or scared was hard to tell. Robertson had hitched his administrative wagon to Marks star and it had worked out well for the both of them, the end result a 500 head company and a manufacturing floor that while small, was meticulously outfitted. 

“We’ve been in purchase discussions before, Mr. Robertson.” Natalie to her left set out three stacks of paper, their corners precisely aligned. Pepper said, “In 2004, 2006, and 2009 in fact. The only difference is that now …”

“You are coming to us, rather than us coming to you.”

Pepper smiled at the woman who spoke. “Any business that stagnates, dies, Ms. ..?”

She didn’t rise to the implied question and Robertson leaned forward. “I uh, I, well, of course, we’d be happy to hear if Stark Industries would be willing to make an offer for the whole of the business, and –“ he broke off when Natasha’s phone rattled against the table. She picked it up with a frown, and Robertson said, “You’ll have to go back out to the lobby. Our manufacturing floor is above us. No reception in here at all.”

Natasha murmured “Thank you” and opened the door quietly. Pepper settled in to discuss half a dozen patents, legacy pension plans, and the potential for an IPO – all for a one-trick-pony company that was sinking under its own weight.

\--::--

“Took you long enough,” Clint said into her ear. Natasha merely narrowed her eyes until he continued, “Cameras are looped for this side, you’ve got twenty.” 

She didn’t slow her pace. “Ten more than I need.”

“Probably fifteen more than you need. No movement out here. I don’t like not having eyes on your girlfriend.”

“They can’t touch her. Not here, not with the show she made coming in the door.”

“You know that; I know that. You sure they know that?”

“Robertson, no. But whoever’s pulling his strings doesn’t want CNN knocking.” She dropped to one knee before a door. The other hallways were right angles; this one should be, too.

“The hazard of geniuses, man. No common sense.”

“You can tell Tony that in,” she paused to move the picks and the lock gave way under her hand. “About seven minutes.”

“Nice, plenty of time for lunch. I’m thinking Thai.”

“Fine, now shush.”

She took a breath and opened the door, stepped through, and wrapped her hand around the neck of the man standing to the left with her thumb jammed up into his pressure point while she stunned the one on the right. The door clicked shut behind her as the man to the left sagged into her arms. She held onto him as cover, even as Tony said, “Really, just surrender, make it easy on yourself.” The third guard swallowed heavily and stepped back, his hands raised. She pulled the larger of her accessible blades from its back sheath and stepped forward to cut the zipties securing Tony to a highbacked fake leather conference chair.

He beamed up at her. “I was good. I waited. Patiently.” 

“You want a cookie?” she asked as he shook his freed hands violently.

“Yes, yes, I do. Also my stuff back.” He made grabby hands as she slid the messenger bag off her shoulder.

“After lunch, and we need to pick up Pepper on the way out.”

He froze in place, the flap of the bag in one hand. “You brought Pepper?”

“More like she brought me. She’s doing the hard work. I’ve just got to babysit you. Out.” He pushed through the door to the hall, and she grabbed his shirt to tug him toward the fire exit, rather than back to the front of the building. She tossed a shiny ball of goo at the wires trailing from the door and pushed the bar. Tony flinched in anticipation, but when the shriek of a alarm conspicuously _didn’t_ sound, scurried after Natasha into the sunlight. “Clear,” she said into her wrist.

A black van with a blocky logo in bright colors pulled up and Natasha shoved Tony into it, then slid the door closed again on his protests. It sped away and she stepped up to the concrete stairs leading to the loading dock, giving a pair of warehouse guys in ratty jeans a polite nod as she passed through the dock into the office areas without breaking stride. She made a show of thumbing at the screen of her phone as she walked up the hallway to where Pepper was shaking hands outside the conference room, and gave her most demure professional smile as Pepper handed off the slim leather case. Robertson walked them to the front lobby, desperate to impress with his manners and the woman, the stranger, stood at the receptionist’s desk within an arm’s reach of Marks until Pepper, or, more exactly, the electronics in the portfolio, hit the fifteen yard threshold. Natasha held the door open as everyone’s cell beeped at once. She tapped Pepper’s back and as one they broke into a near-trot, hopping into the Bentley and pulling the door closed even as Happy rolled forward. A flustered security guard in brown and two men in tactical black sprinted around the corner. The two professionals pulled up short at the door and watched them leave while Robertson put his face in his hands and the security guard gasped for breath. 

**  
Tony refilled his glass, then waved the decanter at where Natasha leaned against the counter. “No, wait, stop. They bought or broke Robertson –“

“Simple blackmail. Not that difficult.”

“To infiltrate his company.”

“Faster than a leveraged buyout.”

“And kidnap me.” He paused for countering commentary.

Natasha shrugged. “They wanted a test of the jamming system. You’ve shown yourself to be resourceful in the past.”

He snorted into his scotch. “Yeah, resourceful. Shit.”

“You make a lousy damsel in distress, though.”

“It’s the facial hair.”

“Good thing Pepper’s better than you are.”

“At being a damsel in distress?”

She let her smile show. “At everything.”

His laugh was a little shaky, but he laughed. “Yeah, yeah, you got me there.”


End file.
